Hanoi Old Quarter is the heart and soul of Hanoi. It’s packed with restaurants serving both fine dining dishes and street food. Some famous food that you can find in the Old Quarter including Banh Mi, Bun Cha, Che, Banh Cuon, Cha Ca, Bun Dau, and Pho.
The Old Quarter is the most popular destination for tourists in Hanoi, so you may see many restaurants that overcharge and serve not authentic food. But, if you do a good research, you will find good traditional restaurants serving authentic Vietnamese food.
In this article, I will share a list of restaurants and eateries that I think are great places to eat. I’ve checked all of these restaurants. Some of them are popular for both foreigners and Vietnamese. Some of them are mostly known by locals.
Most of these restaurants are conveniently located in Hanoi Old Quarter, so they are easily reachable from your hotel on foot or a short Grab/ GreenSM motorbike.
See more:
12 Best Restaurants in Hanoi Old Quarter
1. Banh Mi 25 P. Hàng Cá
Banh Mi is one of the famous Vietnamese dishes. It’s a must try food in Vietnam. My favorite Banh Mi is the crispy pork belly Banh Mi (or Banh Mi Heo Quay in Vietnamese). I always order this crispy pork Banh Mi and only order another kind of Banh Mi when it runs out.
Banh Mi 25 is located at 25 Hang Ca Street, Old Quarter. They have two shops located opposite each other. One shop is for staff to prepare take away and one shop is for dine in.
I visited the shop twice day and night time, they’re always busy with people queuing, eating, and ordering the banh mi. If it’s too busy, it’s better just order take away, so you can walk to nearby Hoan Kiem Lake to eat and eat while walking.
Their signature Banh Mi are Banh Mi Heo Quay and Banh Mi Thap Cam. That explains why Banh My Heo Quay can sell out at some points during the day, especially in the evening and at the end of the day.
The average price of Banh Mi 25 is 50k VND. They have vegetarian options, as well as meat options such as pork, chicken, and beef. The pork with combo pan (Banh Mi Chao) is more expensive, costing from 70k to 85k VND per banh mi.
I really enjoyed their banh mi, with good pork belly, fresh vegetables, tasty chilly sauce but not too spicy, and thinny cut cucumbers.
While there are many banh mi shops all around the Old Quarter and you might find cheaper places, I recommend checking out Banh Mi 25 for a good experience.
2. Bún Chả Que Tre 33 P. Hàng Giầy
This restaurant is located at 33 P. Hàng Giầy street, right in the heart of the Old Quarter. It’s just a stone’s throw away from the nightlife hub Tạ Hiện beer street, Luong Ngoc Quyen street, so you can easily walk to this restaurant from your hotel in the Old Quater.
I was a bit doubtful when passing this restaurant because in my mind, if the restaurant is located in a touristy area with lots of foreign tourists, it is generally not good and overcharging.
From the outside, it’s clean, with a good smell of the grill and the staff were friendly with smiles. I gave it a try and it turned out to be a good place to eat traditional Vietnamese food in the bustling heart of the city.
They serve different Vietnamese dishes, but the highlight dish is the Bun Cha (Hanoi grill pork vermicelli). The price is good due to its prime location, 60k VND per Bun Cha. If you have two people or more, you can order a Hanoi spring roll to try.
I think everything at the restaurant is fresh from grilled pork to salad, papaya and carrot inside the sauce. I finished almost everything. They offer a good portion too.
3. Chè 4 Mùa Hàng Cân & Xôi chè bà Thìn
Che is a typical Vietnamese dessert made with ingredients such as beans (green, black, mung bean), fruit, jelly, corn, rice dumpling, tapioca pearls, sugar, or coconut milk. It can be served hot, cold, or with ice.
When traveling around Vietnam, I can easily find Che shops at Hue and Hanoi. My favorite Che is beans with lotus seeds. If you don’t know what to order, just ask for Thap cam (mixed Che), the shop will put everything a little bit inside your cup/ bowl.
In Hanoi Old Quarter, you will see Che stalls pop up in many markets and street sides. Famous Che shop in the Old Quarter are the Chè 4 Mùa Hàng Cân and Xôi chè bà Thìn.
Chè 4 Mùa is located at 4 P. Hàng Cân is a more popular destination for both foreigners and Vietnamese. They have menus in two languages, so it is easy to order. There are also many seats, and if you’re lucky you can choose the seat in the balcony with street views.
Chè 4 Mùa is a very popular shop, and if you visit in the peak hours such as evening, you’ll need to wait in a long queue and usually no good seats are available. So if you want to try it, go to the shop in the less popular time. It’s open daily from 9.30am to 11pm.
Another good Che shop in Hanoi Old Quarter is Xôi chè bà Thìn at the intersection between Bat Dan and Hang Bo street. This one attracted more locals. There aren’t any price displays but the price is ranging around 30-35k for a bowl/ cup of Che.
If the Chè 4 Mùa is too busy at the time of your visit, check out Xôi chè bà Thìn. Both are good places to try the Vietnamese Chè.
4. Bánh cuốn nóng 27 Hàng Điếu
Bánh cuốn, or Vietnamese Steamed Rice Roll is one of my favorite dishes in Hanoi. This dish is made from rice flours rolled with minced pork, chicken, and mushroom. There is a side salad with it as fish sauce.
When I was craving for Bánh cuốn, I found this shop near my hotel. You’ll see the sign Bánh cuốn (Hot Rolls) at number 27 Hàng Điếu street, then you follow a small alley to get to the restaurant. It’s quite interesting walking through this small old alley to the end to reach the restaurant.
It’s a small and clean restaurant. I ordered both chicken and pork versions and they’re both good. The price is pretty good, 40k for a plate, and 10k for additional sausage.
While there are many good Banh Cuon restaurants around Hanoi, I recommend visiting this one if you’re nearby, and you want a clean restaurant and authentic dishes.
5. Chả Cá Hà Nội 1871- 165b P. Phùng Hưng
Chả cá Hà Nội, Chả cá Lã Vọng, is one of the most famous dishes from Hanoi. The main ingredient of the dish is the cá lăng, a type of catfish marinated with turmeric, galangal, and spices. It’s grilled on the hot pan with lots of dill and spring onions.
The dish is served with rice vermicelli, roasted peanuts, fresh herbs, and a dipping sauce. The sauce is fermented shrimp paste (mắm tôm) or fish sauce if you can’t stand the strong smell and taste of mắm tôm.
There are a couple of famous Chả cá restaurants on Chả cá street, but I tried this dish at the Chả Cá Hà Nội 1871 at 165b Phùng Hưng street near my hotel. They have a clear menu with price and very friendly staff.
The restaurant is located opposite the train street, so you can enjoy the meal and watch tourists visiting the train street. Google said that it’s open from 11.30am but when I walked around 3pm it’s not open. Not sure if it has a break after lunch or only open from 5pm to 10.30pm.
I had a meal around 5pm when no customers were around, so it was very chill. There are small plastic chairs and tables. The dish is cooked on a small stove and hot pan right on my table.
The owner showed me how to cook it and it’s nice to hear the sizzling sound of the cooking and smell the fresh fragrance of the dill. It was 150k VND for the dish, which I think was enough for two people. I was just by myself but I finished it all, very full.
6. Cơm Viên 11a P. Đình Ngang
If you want to eat rice dishes, this place is the place to go. They’re located at 11a P. Đình Ngang street, on the edge of the old quarter. It’s very close to the trains station and some other attractions such as Hoa Lo Prison and the Museum of Art.
They have rice served with BBQ pork, roasted pork, rotated chicken, roasted duck, and curry. I’ve tried the roasted pork and roasted duck chicken, they are delicious. The price starts from 70k per dish. It comes with the side pickle and soup.
In addition to the rice, they also serve noodles with the above meats. I think this is a good restaurant. It has air conditioning and it’s clean. I’ve eaten there a few times.
7. Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm Cô Hoa 25 Ấu Triệu
This is a good place to try authentic Bun Dau Mam Tom in Hanoi. It’s popular with locals and has a reasonable price. It’s located close to St. Joseph Cathedral, near the old quarter, so you can check this restaurant out when around this attraction.
They have 40k and 50k VND plate options. I ordered a 40k plate and it was enough for me as a solo traveler. There is no English menu, so you have to go with it. The dish includes vermicelli noodles, fried tofu, sausages, spring rolls, cold cuts of pork, and fresh vegetables.
Many Vietnamese people don’t like Mam Top (the fermented shrimp paste sauce) due to its strong smell and taste. You can ask for fish sauce if you don’t like it.
8. Phở Bát Đàn, Phở Thìn, and Phở Lý Quốc Sư
Phở, or Vietnamese noodle soup, is one of the most famous dishes in the world. Hanoi is a great place to try Pho. There are many famous Pho chains such as Phở Bát Đàn, Phở Thìn, and Phở Lý Quốc Sư.
You can find pho restaurants on every street of the Old Quarter, so just choose one that’s closest to you to try. In smaller restaurants, you will have cheaper prices compared to big Pho Chain.
Pho Hanoi often has an additional Quay (or fried dough) to go with. The additional price is around 10k VND for a small plate if you want to try.
9. Mỳ Vằn Thắn Bình Tây Phố Cổ
I see more retaunts serving Mỳ Vằn Thắn in Ho Chi Minh City than in Hanoi because the Hoa (Chinese) communities is bigger than Ha Noi. If you want some good wonton noodle soup and a local vibe, this place is a good place to check out.
This noodle soup dish includes wontons, yellow egg noodles, barbecued pork, leafy greens, Shiitake mushroom, and a light broth. I really like the soup at the restaurant. It’s a small restaurant with plastic tables and chairs and fans, so it’s good to experience the way locals eat.
There is no English menu. They serve My Van Than, Pho Ga, and Bun Thang. I had a bowl of My Van Than and it cost me 60k VND. It’s located conviecnet at 54 P. Hàng Chiếu street, northern part of the Old Quarter, steps away from the ancient gate O Quan Chuong.
10. Kem Trang Tien
This is a popular ice cream brand in Hanoi, located in the French Quarter, south of Hoan Kiem lake. On the hot day, when walking around Hanoi, you can stop at this shop for all kinds of flavors of ice cream.
They have ice cream sticks, cones, and boxes. The price is from 15k VND per one depending on the kind of ice cream you want. This is a must try in Hanoi when visiting the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake.
11. Bún bò Huế O Xuân 5d P. Quang Trung
If you want some Bun Bo Hue in Hanoi near the Old Quarter, this restaurant is a good choice. It’s located two blocks away from south of Hoan Kiem Lake, and is close to the Vietnamese Women Museum.
The restaurant has air conditioning, which is a bonus on a hot day eating a hot bowl of noodle soup. It’s also clean which is a plus for choosing the restaurant.
I’ve tried two best Bun Bo Hue in Vietnam at Goc Hue restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City and Quán bún bò Mệ Kéo in Hue. I think this one is an okay Bun Bo hue restaurant in Hanoi for those who want a good bowl of Bun Bo hue in a cool and clean restaurant. If you know any better ones, you can share with me in the comment below.
12. Ốc Nóng Hà Trang 1A P. Đinh Liệt
Snails is a popular dish for Vietnamese people. In the heart of the Old Quarter, you can try small dishes right on Dinh Liet street, close to Ta Hien Beer street, the Hoan Kiem Lake, and the weekend night market.
They only offer boiled snails and clams. It might not be everyone’s favorite, but it’s good to try to experience local dishes if you are brave enough to eat them. The price is from 60k for a plate/ bowl of snails/ clams, and it can be shared for a group of 2-3 people.
There you have it, my suggestion of some good restaurants to eat in hanoi. They’re mostly local restaurants with reasonable prices and some touristy spots but good food. Check them out when you’re in Hanoi and let me know if you have good experience with it in the comment below.